Juvenile Delinquents

State officials have moved to close a home for troubled teenagers in Van Nuys, saying the staff could not control the nearly 70 residents, who ran amok in a series of incidents that culminated last month in what police called a "mini-riot."

State officials have moved to close a home for troubled teenagers, saying the staff could not control the youths who ran amok in a series of incidents and crimes that culminated in what police called a "mini-riot." The state's action came Wednesday after the county had already removed the 68 teenagers from Pride House, a facility in the 15300 block of Saticoy Street for abused and neglected adolescents and petty criminals.

Los Angeles County officials have removed 68 troubled teenagers from a group home, saying the emotionally disturbed clientele was poorly supervised and that counseling, recreation and other services were lacking. County probation and child-welfare authorities removed the teens from Pride House group home on Saticoy Street, completing the transfers last Friday after repeated reports that the 85-member staff could not control the youths.

Seal Beach has become the second city in Orange County to adopt a controversial daytime curfew ordinance, with supporters praising the law as a crackdown on truancy and opponents decrying it as a usurping of parental rights and children's personal freedom. Like a similar law passed in La Habra last month, the Seal Beach ordinance affirms the state education code mandating that children from age 6 to 17 attend school from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Given the chance to draw up a policy wish list, San Bernardino Probation Officer Morgan Drew says she would insist that "the parents were made to go on probation with the girls." In case after case, Drew says she has come to realize that "you just can't work with the girl on probation. You've got to work with the whole family." Often, that's harder than it sounds. One of Drew's clients is a 14-year-old who asks to be known as Rita. On the streets, Rita is called "Laughing Girl."

Our premise is pretty much that all girls are at risk in our society. --Paula Schaefer, state planner for juvenile females in the Minnesota Department of Corrections * Chinese water torture is the only way we're going to make any changes. Drop by drop by drop.

Participants in a character-building wilderness program for troubled teenagers say they were punched in the face and slammed into trees, among other abuse. The camp in remote northwestern Colorado was disbanded Monday after two of the 30 teenagers contracted a tissue-destroying infection. Lauren Lee Wittman, 13, of St. Louis said she and other campers were forced to carry their own excrement in their pockets.